I used to believe all power strips and surge protectors were a rip off. Then, we had a large power surge. We (and neighbors) lost tv's refrigerators, spas, computers, etc. Every electronic devise I had on surge-protected power strips survived with no damage, although every power strip was destroyed. But one tv and a dvd player were plugged in directly and were fried. Now, I am wondering if the more expensive Home Theater Power Management boxes are wroth the higher cost. I'm thinking of spending a lot ($250) on a Panamax box but don't know if they are really any better than the much less expensive power strips. Comments would be appreciated.